Fleas and Worms on the Farm

In the country you may just find fleas to be a serious and ongoing problem for your pets.

This can be especially true if you are new to your country home and pets inhabited the property before your purchase.

After you have been in your new home for 4-6 months and have rid your pets and property of fleas effectively you may be blessed like we were and never bothered by fleas and worms again.

Of course pets and parasitic problems don’t end at fleas! These pests and other parasites should always be given top priority as without awareness they can quickly overpower and return you to square one in the battle.

Flea bite allergies are the first concern for dogs, but without awareness of the life cycle of the flea you may be subjected to many more troubles.

Flea bites induce allergic reactions in some pets, causing a look of patchiness and discomfort.

A Quick Lesson in Flea Control

In every instance I would get right to the veterinarian for the best prescribed treatment.

Yes you can buy medicated collars, sprays, powders, shampoos – which are all great for the interim – but if you want long term effects you will want to alter the life cycle of the flea. That can only be done with a veterinary prescribed medication.

Cats and dogs have commonalities - the worst of which is their ability to attract fleas.

Honestly, when we moved here from the city, the last thing I wanted to do was subject my dog to more chemicals – but once the fleas were gone we never had a problem again (10 years later).

Other parasites in the country to watch out for are ticks, lice, and internal parasites such as hook worms, round worms, and whip worms. These all pose serious health risks to your pet.

Worms and Other Parasites

As an example of severity, untreated hookworms can cause anemia. Hookworm larvae pass directly through the skin and cause skin conditions with lesions in the paws and hide. If you suspect your animals has hookworm infestation, look for skin rashes and loose bowel movements (often tinged with blood).

Round worms are most often visible in young puppies. They’ll show a potbelly condition. Piperazine salts are given orally to treat for round worms. However, broad-spectrum anthelmintics are also given to treat these conditions.

Treating Flea Infestations

Many drugs have come in market to treat the fleas and other parasites. Nowadays, the medical agent called as ivermectin is highly preferred by many dog owners to treat the fleas and other parasites in dogs. This drug is available in injection form and oral form. The drug is now also available as an external application.

Signs of Infestation

Other parasites can cause a condition known as ’scooting’. Scooting is a an anal sac disease. Scooting is the dragging of the anus with the hind limbs in an extended state.

However parasites alone are not always the cause of scooting in dogs. There are many occasions in which the dog may have the scooting without any parasite. For example, the anal gland infections, tumors at the anus and injuries near the anal regions also may lead to such type of dragging of anus region, frequently by the affected dogs.

Flea bites can also cause irritation in this area and the animal may try to bite his bottom.

Cestodiasis in dogs is the condition caused by tapeworms. In such occasions, if the animal is not treated in time, the animal may be seen exhibiting the scooting activities.

Tapeworm segments passed in the stool create an itch from the parasites crawling in that area of the animal. It is those crawling activities of tapeworms that lead to severe itching.

How to Tell if Your Animals Have Tape Worms

A fecal sample is usually dropped off at the veterinarian. Scooting dogs need to be examined to rule out tapeworm segments, which look like rice like pieces. These segments are white in color and turn yellow when taken from the body.

Argh! Fleas Again!

I originally wrote this article 5 years ago. We hadn’t seen fleas on our land for nearly 10 years at that time. This spring we got a fresh flea infestation. Now the reasons why could be many.

We had a house fire and re-built higher up on our land. This involved excavation and as a result there is a lot of fresh dirt laying around – maybe flea eggs had been dormant in the soil?
We inherited three new cats. Two of which I know for a fact had fleas. We’ve given them baths regularly and sprayed them, but every few weeks there are the fleas again!
ONe of the cats we inherited is an outdoor type. There’s just no keeping her in and she’s already a cranky character to begin with. I imagine she brings fleas in and out all day.
It’s been a dry summer so far.

Whatever the reason, I’m going back to Advantage. I know it might not be the most non-toxic solution (but I read that it isn’t as bad as sprays and soapy residues and flea collars for dogs and cats), and it certainly isn’t cheaper, but I know that it works. Once the fleas are gone they are easy to erradicate.

The ’secret’ to Advantage is that it alters the reproductive ability of the flea. Makes them a little less sexy I guess. Within weeks the dogs aren’t crawling with them and the eggs aren’t being laid. Nice.

When I first tried every solution under the sun, nothing worked. I had to take the dogs to the veterinarian for a $200+ visit – consultation and medication. Ugh. That stings when you’ve already spent hundreds on pesticides and laundry and extra hot water to bathe dogs… Thankfully, we don’t have to go the veterinarian anymore to buy Advantage. Look below.

ADVANTAGE FLEA CONTROL KIT FOR CATS 1-9 LBS 20 DOSES